By David E. Hankins, Executive Director Louisiana Baptist Convention
Louisiana Baptists have one institution of higher learning in their constellation of missions and ministries. It is, of course, Louisiana College, a liberal arts college founded in 1906 and located in central Louisiana. We ought to be grateful for this school. I am writing today to tell you why I thank God for LC and to ask you to continue to pray for our school.
Thank God for Louisiana College because of its:
Spiritual Commitments
LC proudly declares on its website its mission: “The mission of Louisiana College is to provide liberal arts, professional, and graduate programs characterized by devotion to the preeminence of the Lord Jesus, allegiance to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, dedication to academic excellence for the glory of God, and commitment to change the world for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Our college is firmly committed to our biblical and historical principles. There was a day in the past when some leaders associated with the college failed to hold in high regard the truth of Scripture and the primacy of historic Christian values.
By God’s grace, those failings have been corrected and all Louisiana Baptists can be confident in and thankful for what is being advocated, modeled and taught at LC today.
Creative Vision
Who would have thought a few years ago that LC could be deeply engaged in graduate education, have a new divinity school and law school about to launch, and other strategic endeavors such as a medical school and a film school being contemplated, all while maintaining excellence in the undergraduate divisions? The answer is Joe Aguillard. President Aguillard would be quick to give credit for these innovations to the Lord and his able staff, but God has used him to help all of us dream big dreams for the advance of the school. It makes me thankful.
Gospel Influence
Only heaven knows the eternal impact LC is having. We have scores of students who are coming to know Christ through campus life, the classroom, and extracurricular settings. And, hundreds more are advancing the Kingdom through ministry leadership through the school, the churches, and missions.
Add to this the influence wrought by our administration and faculty at academic, cultural, and political levels, and the gospel contribution is immeasurable.
But all of this pales in light of the long-term, lifetime of gospel influence that will come to pass from the students as they move into their respective fields of medicine, law, teaching, ministry, art, and so on, as witnesses for Christ.
Academic Excellence
Louisiana College takes a backseat to no one in providing the highest quality of educational preparation in all its fields of study. I recently participated briefly in the decennial accreditation process, and saw firsthand the strides LC continues to make in its academic excellence.
We have much for which to thank God. LC is a gift from Him. The financial contribution Louisiana Baptists make through their Cooperative Program allocation is about 6 to 1 in dollars every year. It is seed money for all the above and more.
Please, continue to pray for the college, even more fervently than you have before.
Here are some prayer concerns:
Dr. Aguillard’s health
We are thankful that God spared our president’s life during his heart attack and subsequent bypass surgery. Please pray for him to recovery completely and rapidly. And pray for those, like Tim Johnson, who lead in his absence.
Finances
Operating a Christian college is a costly enterprise. God has blessed in recent years and the financial situation has improved dramatically. But there are always challenges and needs. As you pray, God might impress you to give.
Attracting New Students
The college exists to educate students. They are the primary recipients of this ministry. Pray that prospective students will learn about LC.
While we are proud of our folks from Cenla, I think it is important to grow the number of students from all over our state, especially those from our churches.
Criticism
Anyone doing anything worthwhile is going to be criticized. Criticism can also be useful in helping us improve. However, LC has been the victim of intensive unwarranted, untrue, and destructive criticism in recent years. Some of the most vicious and organized comes from a self-professed homosexual activist who wants LC to change its current spiritual commitments.
Pray for our school leaders as they defend themselves from these attacks and as they set the record straight. Also, pray that the working press will be fair, and that Louisiana Baptists will neither be drawn in to this criticism nor be discouraged by it.
I believe the Lord will turn this evil into good. So pray.
Thank God for Louisiana College. May all she is and does bring glory to Christ Jesus and His kingdom.